Eneca the famous Poete & Philosopher, was schole-
maister to Nero, who brought hym vp in all nobili-
tie of learnyng, mete for his state: though that Nero
was wickedlie of nature disposed, as his beastlie gouerne-
ment sheweth, yet wickednes in him, was by the seueritie of
Seneca, and his castigacion depressed: for Traianus Empe-
rour of Rome, would saie, as concernyng Nero, for the space
of fiue yeres, no Prince was like to hym, for good gouerne-
ment, after fiue yeres, losely and dissolutly he gouerned.
¶ Of his actes.
The dreame
of Agrippina
mother to
Nero, in his
concepcion.
His Nero, at what tyme as his mother was con-
ceiued of him, she dreamed that she was conceiued
of a Uiper: for, the young Uiper alwaies killeth
his dame. He was not onely a Uiper to his mo-
ther whom he killed, but also to his kyngdome and common
wealthe a destroier, whiche afterward shalbe shewed, what
Nero a viper[.] a tyraunte and bloodie gouernour he was. This Nero made
in the Citee of Rome, the rounde seates and scaffoldes, to be-
holde spectacles and sightes, and also the bathes. He subdued
Pontus.
Colchis.
Cappadocia.
Armenia. Pontus a greate countrée, whiche ioineth to the sea Pontus:
whiche countrée containeth these realmes, Colchis, Cappa-
docia, Armenia, and many other countrées, and made it as a
Prouince, by the suffraunce of Polemon Regulus, by whose
name it was called Pontus Polemoniacus. He ouer came
the Alpes, of the king Cotteius, Cottius the king being dedde[.]
Nero vnwor[-]
thie to be chron[-]
icled.
Seneca. The life followyng of Nero was so abhominable, that the
shame of his life, will make any man a fraied, to leaue any
memorie of hym. This Domitius Nero, caused his Schole-
maister Seneca to be put to death, Seneca chosing his owne
death, his veines beyng cutte in a hotte bathe died, bicause he
corrected wicked Nero, to traine hym to vertue. He was out-
ragious wicked, that he had cōsideracion, neither to his own
honestie, nor to other, but in continuaunce, he tired hymself
as virgines doe when thei marie, callyng a Senate, the dou-
rie assigned, and as the maner of that solemnitée is, many re-
sortyng and frequentyng, in maidens tire and apparell. He
The shamful
life of Nero. went beyng a man, to be maried as a woman: beside this, at
other tymes he cladde hymself with the skin of a wilde beast,
and beastlie did handle that, whiche Nature remoueth from
the sight. He defiled hymself with his owne mother, whom
he killed immediatlie. He maried twoo wiues, Octauia, and
Sabina, otherwise called Poppea, firste murtheryng their
Galba.
Caius Iu-
lius. housbandes. In that tyme Galba vsurped the Empire, and
Caius Iulius: as sone as Nero heard that Galba came nere
towardes Rome, euen then the Senate of Rome had deter-
mined, that Nero should bee whipped to death with roddes,
accordyng to the old vsage of their auncestours, his necke yo-
ked with a forke. This wicked Nero, seyng himself forsaken
of all his friendes, at midnight he departed out of the Citée,
Ephaon, and Epaphroditus waityng on hym, Neophitus
and Sporus his Eunuche: whiche Sporus before tyme, had
The death of
Nero. Nero assaied to frame and fashion out of kinde. In the ende,
Nero thruste himself through, with the poinct of his sworde,
his wicked man Sporus, thrustyng foreward his trembling
hande: this wicked Nero before that, hauyng none to mur-
ther hym, he made a exclamacion, in these woordes. Is there
neither friende nor enemie to kill me, shamefullie haue I li-
ued, and with more shame shall I die, in the .xxxij. yere of his
age he died. The Persians so entirely loued hym, that after
his death thei sente Ambassadours, desiryng licence to erecte
to hym a monumente, all countrées and Prouinces, and the
whole Citée of Rome, did so moche reioyce of his death, that
thei all wearyng the Toppintant hattes, whiche bonde men
doe vse to ware, when thei bée sette at libertie, and so thei tri-
umphed of his death, deliuered from so cruell a tyraunte.
¶ A comparison.
Nero.
Caligula.
Domitianus[.]
Antoninus.
S for wicked gouernement, Nero doeth make Ca-
ligula like to Comodus, Domitianus, Antoninus
Caracalla, thei were all so wicked, that the Senate
of Rome thought it méete, to obliterate their name, from all
memorie and Chronicle, because of their wickednesse.